The vast majority of people find out about arts
events in their communities through newspapers (74%), more than four
times as many as those who find out about local arts events either
by "word of mouth" (17%) or from "mailed announcements,
flyers, or brochures" (16%).

Sources of Information About Local Arts Events

In all communities, and across all demographic groups, more people find
out about local arts events through newspapers than from any other source,
according to the 1992 Local Area Arts Participation Study conducted by the National Endowment
for the Arts (National Endowment for the Arts. [1993]. "Summary Report:
12 Local Surveys of Public Participation in the Arts." Research Division Report no. 26). People
were three times as likely to cite newspapers (74%) as a source of information
about local arts events as they were to cite television (26%), the second-ranked
information source. One person in five (20%) said they found out about
arts events in their community through the radio. A fourth medium, magazines,
was infrequently mentioned as a source of information about local arts
events (4%).

Less than one person in five said they learned about local arts events
through "word of mouth" (17%) or from "mailed announcements,
flyers, and brochures" (16%). Just one person in ten (9%) mentioned "posters
or notices in public areas," while one in twenty (5%) mentioned "school
notices." Less than one percent said that they learned of local
arts events through "telemarketing or telephone solicitation."

Use of Information Sources in Different Communities

In all twelve communities studied in the 1992 Local Area
Arts Participation Study, newspapers were the number one source of information
about local arts events by a wide margin over television and other sources.
Reliance on newspapers ranged from a low of 63% in Dade County, Florida
to a high of 80% in Broward County, Florida.

Sources of Information about Arts Events - 1992
By Community
How do you learn or find out about arts events in your community?
(Multiple responses allowed)

Television was the second most-cited medium as a source of information
about local arts events in all communities studied except one -- Sedona,
AZ, where it was hardly a factor at all (in 1992). Just 6% of Sedona
residents said they found out about local arts events through television,
far behind other sources such as "word of mouth" (28%), radio
(21%), and "mailed announcements, flyers, and brochures" (15%).

Television was relied upon fairly heavily in Las Vegas (40%), Reno (40%),
Pittsburgh (36%), and Winston-Salem (35%). The average rate of reliance
upon television across all twelve communities was 26%. The relatively
heavy reliance upon television in these four communities appears to be
more than just a function of local demographics in these markets. Among
major demographic groups, the highest rate of television-reliance for
information about local arts events was 37% for African Americans, who
made up no more than 20% of the population in any of these communities
at the time of the survey. (In no other major demographic group did more
than 30% of the respondents say they learned about local arts events
through television.)

Radio was the third most-cited source of information about local arts
events in most communities, although it was surpassed or tied as a source
of information by "word of mouth" in three communities (Sedona,
Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia), and by "mailed announcements, flyers,
and brochures" in one community (San Jose). Radio was only narrowly
ahead of "word of mouth" in two other communities (Chicago,
IL and Broward County, FL).

"Word of mouth" appears to have been especially effective
in Sedona, AZ as a source of information about local arts events -- 28%
of Sedona residents said they found out about local arts events by "word
of mouth," compared to an average of 17% for residents across all
12 communities. Two factors that may have contributed to this result
are Sedona's small population (15,500 in 1990) and its relatively
high concentration of visual artists and arts galleries. "Word
of mouth" was not a significant source of information about local
arts events, however, in three communities -- rural Nevada, Winston-Salem,
and Dade County -- where just 11% of residents said they learned about
local arts events in this fashion.

Use of Information Sources by Demographic Groups

Across all demographic groups, more people obtained information about
local arts events from newspapers than from any other media or non-media
source,
according to the Local Area
Arts Participation Study 1992.
The range of reliance on newspapers, however, varied considerably across
different demographic groups, from a high of 84% among those with a college
degree to a low of 46% among Hispanics (in 1992). On average, 74% of
people said they learned about local arts events from newspapers.

Sources of Information
about Arts Events - 1992
By Demographic Groups
How do you learn or find out about arts events in your community?
(Multiple responses allowed)

Demographic Groups

Media Sources

Word of Mouth

Mailings, Flyers, Brochures

Newspapers

Television

Radio

Magazines

All Respondents

74%

26%

20%

4%

17%

16%

Age

18 to 29

64%

22%

17%

4%

18%

12%

30 to 39

78%

29%

27%

5%

15%

16%

40 to 59

83%

27%

21%

4%

19%

16%

60 and over

72%

25%

12%

4%

16%

21%

Gender

Male

72%

25%

20%

5%

16%

13%

Female

76%

26%

19%

3%

18%

19%

Race

White

80%

23%

20%

5%

17%

17%

Black

63%

37%

24%

2%

16%

14%

Hispanic

46%

30%

19%

1%

10%

13%

Other

56%

29%

13%

3%

18%

16%

Education

High School or Less

63%

27%

16%

4%

17%

12%

Some College

80%

28%

18%

4%

16%

15%

Bach. Degree or More

84%

22%

25%

5%

17%

22%

Income

Less than $20,000

60%

28%

15%

3%

19%

16%

$20,000 - $49,999

82%

30%

20%

4%

15%

14%

$50,000 - $99,999

83%

19%

25%

4%

16%

18%

$100,000 or more

82%

22%

25%

8%

15%

25%

Marital Status

Married

81%

26%

21%

4%

15%

18%

Widowed

67%

24%

10%

4%

20%

20%

Separated

57%

42%

14%

6%

32%

13%

Divorced

81%

27%

21%

3%

17%

13%

Never Married

62%

24%

20%

5%

18%

13%

Source: Summary
Report: 12 Local Surveys of Public Participation in the Arts
(Washington DC: National Endowment for the Arts, 1993)
?Princeton University 2003 | www.cpanda.org

Use of newspapers as a source of information about local arts events
varies considerably within most major demographic categories, except
gender. Reliance upon newspapers was highest among people ages 40 to
59, whites, the college-educated, married people, and people with incomes
above $20,000 (in 1992). In each of these groups, more than 80% said
they learned about arts events in their community through newspapers.
In contrast, fewer than 65% of 18 to 29-year-olds, non-whites, the non-college-educated,
never married people, and people with incomes of less than $20,000 (in
1992) said they got information about local arts events through newspapers.

Use of television as a source of information about local arts events
varies less across different demographic groups, although it does vary
by race and income. Among racial groups, African Americans were the most
likely to use television as a source of information about local arts
events (37%), while whites were least likely (23%). Similarly, among
income groups, people with incomes of less than $50,000 (in 1992) were
the most likely to use television as a source of information about local
arts events (29%), while people with incomes above $50,000 were least
likely (20%).

Radio, the third most-cited source of information about local arts events,
was most effective in reaching 30 to 39-year-olds (27%), those with Bachelor's
degrees or higher (25%), and people with incomes of $50,000 or higher
(25%). It was least likely to reach people ages 60 and over (12%), those
with a High School degree or less (16%), and people with incomes of less
than $20,000 (15%).

There was very little variation across demographic categories with respect
to "word of mouth" as a source of information about local
arts events. With but one exception (Hispanics, at 10%), the percentage
of people who learned about local arts events through "word of
mouth" varied between 15 and 19 percent across all demographic
groups.

Targeted appeals, such as mailers, flyers, and brochures, were more
successful in reaching people ages 60 and over than people ages 18 to
29 (21% vs. 12%), those with incomes above $100,000 than those with incomes
under $50,000 (25% to 15%), those with Bachelor's degrees or higher
than those with a high school degree or less (22% to 12%), and women
than men (19% to 13%).